Political observers are speculating exactly who the government will field come September 20 to counter him, for that's the day Rahul Gandhi will be addressing 4,000 NRIs at the Marriott Hotel in New York.

While their social media cell might dismiss him as `Pappu' (not always without reason), the more serious and senior in the BJP continue to keep a hawk's eye on RaGa.

"We can never dismiss the Congress threat," is what they tell your diarist.

For Rahul, in the meanwhile, these meetings in the US are aimed as much at the NRI constituency as they are at Congressmen back home.

It may be recalled that Narendra Modi had held a similar series of meetings abroad before he staked his claim on New Delhi.

Rahul, who will be finally taking over as Congress President by year-end and at the age of 47, is keen to send the message that his days of inconsonance are behind him, and that he is in the running for the nation's hot seat.